Finding My Way Back To You
by divine one
Summary: Sometimes you get lost on the journey. And it takes something, someone, special to help you find your way back. Mark and Callie.
1. Surprise

**Author** Devylish  
**Title** Finding My Way Back To You  
**Chapter** 1/?  
**Fandom** Grey's Anatomy  
**Pair** Mark and Callie  
**Rating** PG  
**Words** 1487  
**Warning/Spoiler/Summary** None. None. Sometimes you get lost on the journey. And it takes something, someone, special to help you find your way back.  
**Disclaimer** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, plot, etc. are the property of the creators of the TV show **Grey's Anatomy**. Any original characters, settings and plots are the property of **devylish**. **devylish** is in no way associated with the TV show **Grey's Anatomy **and no copyright infringement is intended. This work is an amateur fan effort and no profit is being made.

* * *

Mark and I opened our respective apartment doors at the same time. Him with a dishtowel in his hand, me with a DVD case in my hand.

"Hi."

"Uh, hi." I smiled

Quiet.

Then simultaneously, "Did you just ring my...?"

Chuckling Mark threw the dishtowel over his shoulder. "Think someone was playing ding dong ditch?"

I smiled again, appreciating this moment of relaxed, stupid, humor between us. Things hadn't been good between us recently. When he dumped Lexie for being a ho-ing bitch (who the hell saw THAT coming?), he went back to his manwhore ways, sleeping with the flavor of the week... or the flavor of the day and hitting on everything in a skirt.

That hurt me. It hurt more than his being with Lexie had hurt. I hadn't labeled the pain I felt. But it existed, and I knew that at least part of it revolved around the fact that I expected more from him. At this time... at this point... I knew he could devote himself to someone. He _could_ settle down with one woman and have little mischievous baby Sloans; I knew he _could_ settle down. And more than that, I knew he wanted to settle down.

But instead of looking for the right woman; regrouping and finding _the _woman that helped him be all that he could be, Mark gave the world manwhore 2.0.

The first crack in our relationship? Yeah it came when I opened my freakishly large mouth and told him that he needed to knock off his reinstated manwhorishness, and that he needed to find a real woman and make her his.

He'd grumbled something about how he had changed his mind about turning his damn leaf over. He liked his leaf right-side up quite a bit, thank you very much.

I'd growled back at him and continued to poke at him whenever a nice (not too nice) girl was within twenty feet of him. "She looks like picket fence material." Or, "Look Mark, now THOSE are birthing hips."

He finally pushed me into a conference room and bluntly told me to: 'give me dating advice when you have your own crap figured out Cal."

_Ouch!_

Make that double ouch because this little confrontation occurred a month after Ari and I had broken up. Arizona had dumped me... for another brunette. A peds nurse with, apparently, great legs and an unambivalent opinion about her sexuality or what she wanted in life (rainbow colored picket fence, 2.5 tots, and 2 dogs).

Anyway, we were done. And I was still sore in the spots that Ari use to fill (don't be a pig and go there!). I missed Ari's sunshiny smile first thing in the morning... Me, myself? most definitely not a morning person... Ari? The frickin' opposite... lived for fucking mornings. And even though it drove me crazy when we were together... I still kind of missed that chirpy, tweety, 'the sun is up and so are we!' attitude greeting me every damn morning.

At least, I kind of missed it.

Anyway, Mark's 'get your own shit straightened out before talking to me about my shit' statement, hurt.

I didn't talk to him for two days after that.

And then I realized I couldn't be without a girlfriend AND without my best friend at the same time, so I gave in to his prodding and poking and semi-apologizing, and let him be my friend again.

And then the tables turned, and he began to point girls out to me. 'Looks like she'd be good for a roll in the hay' or, 'Torres, I bet you could mow the lawn on that one.'

When he brought two slutty, McSlutties over to our table one Friday night, I finally had enough.

"_Callie? This is Tina and --"_

"_Trina," the blonde slut giggled._

"_What? Oh, right, Trina... Trina," he was staring down Trina's top and getting lost. I cleared my throat. "Umm, right..., Trina, and... Amber?" He looked at the blonde standing on his other side. She shrugged, accepting the name carelessly. Mark glanced at me, "She thinks you're hot."_

_I looked up at him, "I __**am**__ hot."_

_His eyes swam over my body. "You're nothing if not honest." _

_Trina, apparently not appreciating NOT being the center of attention at all times, leaned in to Mark and reminded him of her presence._

"_..uh, honest and lucky. Because Tin- Trina and Amber here are looking for a little fun tonight,aren't you ladies?"_

"_Just a little fun?" Trina let her hand move from Mark's chest down to his abdomen; low on his abdomen. _

"_My mistake; a lot of fun. Big. Big fun."_

_I rolled my eyes, and tried to ignore the curvy blonde Mark had brought for me. _

"_These lovely ladies are in town for the night -- flight attendants -- and they'd like to see what Seattle has to offer."_

_'Seriously Mark? You're better than this! You want more than this!' The words poured out of my eyes, but I managed to keep my mouth shut. _

"_...so I told them that you and I could show them... some of the better offerings of Seattle." _

_I glanced at the blonde... my blonde, Amber. She __**was**__good looking, if a bit overly made up. But she wasn't my type. I wasn't looking for a one night stand. I wanted a woman -- I looked back at Mark -- or a man, who wanted only me... not someone who only wanted me for the night._

_Throwing back the last of my drink, I slid out of the booth, pressing past my tall, curvaceous blonde gift. "Sorry, no offense, but I'm a little tired tonight." Turning back to face Mark who was looking at me with open jawed confusion, I offered him a small smile, "see you at work tomorrow." Sparing one more glance at his two pieces of arm candy I offered a slightly sincere, "have fun ladies."_

_***_

Things had been... strained between the two of us since then. As in... barely talking to one another strained. I didn't really begrudge Mark's sleeping with other women... not really. What I did begrudge him was his doing something that I knew he hated. He hated being considered a manwhore. He wanted to be more than that. _He was more than tha_t.

But Lexie, the bitch, had broken his faith in himself.

***

So yeah, it was nice to be standing in the hall with him... laughing about stupid stuff. Stupid stuff like some kids playing ding dong ditch.

"Waaaaaaaaahhhhhhh"

Mark looked at me, and I looked at him, and then we both looked down at the end of the hall to where the wail we'd just heard had come from.

"Hello?" Mark called out.

Another piercing cry, a baby's cry, lit the hall.

Sharing a glance with Mark, I cautiously made her way down the hall. Turning the shallow corner that lead to the elevators she stopped mid stride. "Holy shit," I whispered.

"Who is it Cal?"

I bent down and picked up the blanket covered baby carrier, swinging it into sight as I turned back to face Mark who still stood in his doorway.

"Is that what I think it is?" His eyes were wide.

"I don't know, I haven't looked yet, but... I think it is." I started down the hall, carrying the heavy baby carrier towards Mark. I stared him in the eye. "Did Sloan...? Do you think this...?"

"She called to say the baby was born, but she said she was still giving him up." Mark looked from me to the cumbersome carrier, and back up at me.

"She might have changed her mind." My voice is soft as I reach Mark's door and hold the now quiet carrier out to him; I watch his face as he gingerly, carefully lifted the edge of the blanket.

His smile, the one that lights his face, is brilliant, but I see shades of sadness behind it.

"Definitely not Sloan's." He takes the carrier from me and turns it around so that I can see the baby contained within. A beautiful, dark skinned, most definitely African-american baby, with wide open dark eyes and a head full of curly hair.

"Definitely not Sloan's... unless she failed to mention something to you."

He touches the baby's cheek, "I don't suppose there was a mom or a dad standing in corner that you failed to bring back with you?"

"Sorry Marky. This was all I found."

Mark looked me in the eye -- I'm surprised by how much I've missed looking in those eyes – and he holds the baby out. "So what the hell are we going to do with 'this'?"


	2. Charms

**Author** Devylish  
**Title** Finding My Way Back To You  
**Chapter** 2/?  
**Fandom** Grey's Anatomy  
**Pair** Mark and Callie  
**Rating** PG13  
**Words** 1702  
_**Warning/Spoiler/Summary**__ None. None. __Sometimes you get lost on the journey. And it takes something, someone, special to help you find your way back.__  
__**Disclaimer**__ All publicly recognizable characters, settings, plot, etc. are the property of the creators of the TV show __**Grey's Anatomy**__. Any original characters, settings and plots are the property of __**devylish**__. __**devylish**__ is in no way associated with the TV show __**Grey's Anatomy **__and no copyright infringement is intended. This work is an amateur fan effort and no profit is being made._

_***_

_Mark looked me in the eye -- I'm surprised by how much I've missed looking in those eyes – and held the baby out. "So what the hell are we going to do with 'this'?"_

****

"Do you think this is breast milk?" Callie held up one of the four bottles that had been tucked in the small baby's bag attached to the baby's carrier.

I shrugged; personally, I was just happy that there WAS milk. We'd found milk, about ten diapers, and a note in the baby bag. The diapers would need to be used soon, if my nose was working. And the note, the note was in one of my hands. My other hand was caught in the baby's hand. Or rather, one of my fingers was caught in her hand. And yeah. It was a her. The note that I was re-reading said that much.

_She's three months old.  
__Her name is: Charlotte.  
__I do love her, but I can't raise her.  
__So many reasons that I can't raise her.  
__She's a good girl.  
__Only cries when she needs something._

_I think I know who you are.  
__I won't tell you how,  
__but I think you'll take care of my... your... Charlotte.  
__Please take care of her.  
__She's a good girl._

_My Charlotte._ I looked down at the little bundle who was holding on to my hand. A smile started at the corner of my lips; a smile that I bit back when I felt Callie come up behind me. I pulled my hand away from the baby and dropped the letter on the table next to the diapers.

"Your doorbell rang, right?"

Callie nodded, "Yup."

"So what does our baby's momma mean when she says she thinks she knows who 'I' am? Which one of us was she trying to give the baby to?"

"Been with any black women in the past year Mark?"

"Nice...!"

"I'm sorry, but, come on. You are Mark."

"Mark, who was on the other side of a new leaf a year ago!" I paused then peered at her, "What about you Torres? Been with any black women in the past year?"

Callie opened her mouth to argue the biology of my question, then simply shut her mouth. "Touche.'

I smirked then let my face become more serious. "I think we should take her to the hospital."

Callie stepped in to the baby, looking at her anxiously, "Why? Is something wrong with her?"

"Why?" I looked at Callie incredulously. "Because she's a baby. An abandoned baby. She needs to be checked over for health concerns, and she needs to be handed over to Child Protective Services."

Callie stared at me.

"What?!"

"So we..., 'you'..., are just going to give her up?"

"Callie she was abandoned, this is what you do with abandoned babies; you take them to the authorities and you... you hand them over."

"Mark her mom gave her to us," she air quoted the word 'us', "to take care of, we can't just... hand her over to strangers."

"Yeah Callie, we can. We can hand her over to strangers; qualified, professional strangers. Her mom did it, and we're already strangers to her. We hand her over."

Callie looked at me, then down at the baby. "Technically, we work for the hospital, so technically, we are qualified professional strangers."

"And technically, we weren't at the hospital when the baby was delivered to us. And technically, this baby is way over the 'No-Fault' Infant drop off age of 72 hours old. Cal, the baby needs medical review, CPS, and the mom needs to be found."

"So you want the mom prosecuted?" Callie asked this and then did something that neither of them had yet done, she reached into the carrier, and unstrapped the baby, slowly, carefully, lifting her out, cradling her in her arms.

I sighed. "Don't. Cal. Don't get attached."

She looked over at me, baby in her arms, a relaxed smile on her face.

And it was my dream come true. My dark, buried, hidden dream. Callie, and a baby, and me.

Okay. It was a slightly twisted version of my dream; the colouring was a little unexpected, but it was still beautiful. Callie was still beautiful holding 'our' temporary child. "Callie, you're not thinking. Think. She needs to go to the hospital. Whether the mom gets found and prosecuted or not... the baby, this baby, needs to get a chance to find new parents. Real parents. Whether it was you or me who she meant to drop her off with... neither one of us is... I mean, Callie, it's a baby!"

"Shhhh, not so loud, you're freaking her out."

I threw up my hands, "yeah, well she's freaking me out a bit too."

Callie cooed at the baby, "Hows a wittle baby baby like me goin' to freak out a big bad man like you huh? Hows dat goin' to happen? Hmmm baby? Sweetie?"

_Crap. Crap! She's talking baby talk._ Her hair framing her face, here eyes trained on the baby as if she was the most precious thing in the world. I groan and try one more time. "Callie, you can not keep her. I can't keep her. She needs... more."

Callie looks up from the baby and shares a pissy reminder, "We were going to bring up baby Sloan Sloan.... Together." She looked back down at the baby. "We were going to be 'more' for that baby."

"Well yeah, but," I back away as she starts towards me with the baby. "Callie stop."

"Afraid of a little itty bitty baby, Marky?"

"No, I'm afraid of the woman holding the itty bitty baby. The woman who's thinking with her oversized heart instead with her...." I stop and shake my head as Callie stops less than a foot away from me, placing the baby and herself both within my eyesight, within my reach. I let out a grunt of frustration. "How the hell am 'I' the sane one in this situation? I'm the one with the no willpower and faulty moral compass, you're the anchor. The one who steers me in the right direction. How the hell did the roles get reversed here?"

Callie looked up at me, a mischievous light dancing through her eyes, "Maybe the roles haven't been reversed. Ever think of that? If I'm the anchor, and always steering you right... maybe I'm doing it again. Now," she nodded down at Charlotte, "with her."

I knew I was screwed. 1) Callie was stubborn. Rock hard stubborn. 2) And the baby, Charlotte... she was was looking up at me from her spot in Callie's arms, looking up at me and seemingly asking me to take a chance on her. 3) And then there was the fact that everything I'd ever wanted -- in my life – was suddenly right there waiting for me. "Fuck."

Callie gave a big grin, even at the same time that she scolded me, "Watch the language Sloan."

***

Callie did agree with me, eventually, that we should, at least, take Charlotte in for a check-up.

Fortunately for us, her time with Arizona worked in our favor as there were a few people on staff in Peds that Callie knew who would agree to bring in a baby – a baby who only had a first name – for a set of exams and tests.

We made a few calls, and late though it was, managed to get Charlotte in for a checkup.

***

"We'll have to wait for the blood tests to come back, but on a cursory review, she looks good... a healthy, approximately 12-13 week old baby." Dr. Amberson looked from Callie, to me and added, "A healthy, 13 week old, African American baby." Her eyes stayed on me.

I opened my mouth to defend my reputation then shut it. What reputation?

Callie didn't let my reputation get further dinged however, offering up a weak, but possible excuse. "Charlotte belongs to friends of ours, they're out of town, and we don't know much about babies, and... well... sniffle here, cry there... and we freaked. Thought we'd take advantage of being doctors and have her checked out so that we at least feel comfortable about that part." Callie smiled her smile... the one that made men and women swoon. "I'm sorry we bothered you, but, we'll have her for a couple of weeks and we just didn't want to have her catch a cold or be sick while she's under our watch.... You understand, right?"

Doctor Amberson smiled back. A sparkling smile. "Oh, no, it's no bother. If you have any other questions, please, feel free to call me. And, of course, I'll have the blood test results soon." She typed something into her laptop before glancing back up at Callie, and adding, "How about I give _you_ a call in a couple of days... with the results?"

I was clearly chopped liver. Male chopped liver. I leaned against the counter and watched the two women... my gut churning. I hated seeing Callie flirt. I always had. I hated it. Normally, I could hide my hate. I was hiding it now.

From everyone except for myself.

***

"And we are in like Flynn baby!" Callie crowed as she led the way out of Peds.

When I made no response, she turned around questioningly. "What's the matter?"

"Is everyone in Peds a lesbian?"

"What!?"

"You were flirting... with Dr. Amberson."

"I wasn't..... well, okay, I was using my charms on her. I have charms. And I was using them. And... she was looking at you accusingly... all... 'man having a baby with another woman' accusingly. I … I just, turned her attention away from you a bit."

"By flirting."

"Fine. I flirted. I flirted! So what?!"

I reached for the baby carrier and took it from her. "So... nothing."


	3. True Colors

**Author** Devylish  
**Title** Finding My Way Back To You  
**Chapter** True Colors 3/?  
**Fandom** Grey's Anatomy  
**Pair** Mark and Callie  
**Rating** PG13  
**Words** 2621  
_**Warning/Spoiler/Summary**__ None. None. __Sometimes you get lost on the journey. And it takes something, someone, special to help you find your way back.__  
__**Disclaimer**__ All publicly recognizable characters, settings, plot, etc. are the property of the creators of the TV show __**Grey's Anatomy**__. Any original characters, settings and plots are the property of __**devylish**__. __**devylish**__ is in no way associated with the TV show __**Grey's Anatomy **__and no copyright infringement is intended. This work is an amateur fan effort and no profit is being made._

* * *

The discussion as to who would 'house' the baby while they worked out her future went something like this:

"_She can stay with me."_

"_No way!"_

"_Why not?!"_

"_Yang."_

"_What about Yang?"_

_Chin tilted up and brow rose silently._

"_She'll be fine with her."_

"_For all we know, she eats babies whole."_

"_She's misunderstood."_

"_My ass."_

"_Watch your language around Charlotte."_

_Growl; then: "I already have a crib."_

"_We can bring it over to my place."_

"_That's just extra work."_

"_You're a big strong man; you can handle it."_

"_I am a big strong man. But she's staying with me."_

"_She should be with me."_

"_Why?"_

"_I'm a girl."_

"_Are you kidding me? You just set back women's lib a hundred years with that statement."_

_Tongue stuck out and nose squished up._

"_She's staying with me."_

"_Why?!"_

"_You'll get attached." Voice softened. "Don't get attached Cal."_

_Blink._

"_Fine, she can stay with you. But I will be using my key and I will be spending all of my free time at your place."_

"_Like that's anything new?"_

***

Day One:

"I'm here... I'm here!"

"This was your idea and you're 10 minutes late... this isn't going to work Callie!" He handed the crying Charlotte to Callie.

Callie, hugged the wiggling baby close to her, "I couldn't help it, I was caught by Arizona in Med Surg, she wanted to talk. And it's just the first day, we're bound to hit some bumps."

Mark sighed. "I fed her about an hour ago, I was just going to check her diaper..., but now that you're here..." he grinned happily, "I'm out of here!"

The door closed behind him and Callie looked down at the miserable baby. "It's okay sweetie, now that the big bad man is gone, we can change your diaper and spend some girl time together... 'k?"

Callie grabbed a blanket, a diaper, and some wipes in one hand and carefully worked her way to the couch. Tossing the goods on to the sofa she gently lowered Charlotte onto the couch and sat down in front of her. Removed from the succor of Callie's warm body, Charlotte's cries grew louder. And while Callie wasn't enthralled by the cries, she was in awe with them. It had taken her exactly 30 seconds to fall in love this baby; to see the possibilities represented by her. A baby. For her. For Mark. For them.... And now that she was so smitten with the little tyke, Callie found everything about her amazing. Her wails were great, irritating, but great...; she was speaking to them. Letting them know how she felt.

Of course, when she cooed and smiled, it was definitely nicer. With that thought in mind, Callie lifted the baby's bum and tucked the blanket beneath her. Unsnapping the sleeper she was wearing, Callie undid the diaper.

"Oh... wow! Stinky. Really really stinky." She started to clean Charlotte. "I'd be screaming my lungs out if I was this stinky too."

Finishing the changing, Callie carefully climbed off of the couch, and keeping an eye on the baby, dashed to the garbage can. Coming back into the living room she watched the baby who had her head turned and was looking at Callie. "So what should we do now Pumpkin?"

She knelt on the floor next to Charlotte who was moving her little fists in circles. "I know I told Mark I'd call Addy and ask her for the name of her friend who works in CPS, but... why don't you and I play for a little while, and THEN we can eat, and take a nap... and maybe then we'll call Addison? Sound good Pumpkin?" Callie picked Charlotte up and when the baby gurgled happily, Callie willingly took that as a sign of agreement to her plan.

***

Day 3

"Call her Callie!" Mark barked the order as he wearily left for work. And Callie in the most adult manner that she could, stuck her tongue out at his retreating back.

"_Call her Callie!_" She mimicked his voice as she bent over to make certain Charlotte was still asleep. _Damnit... she was_.

Moving reluctantly to the phone, Callie plopped her tired figure on to the couch and picked the handset up. She dialed... slowly.

"Dr. Montgomery please... Callie Torres... thank you." She hummed to 'Like a Virgin' in muszak fashion as she waited to be transferred.

"Callie, honey, how are you?!" Addison's bright, somewhat mischievous voice lit up the lines.

Callie smiled despite the not so fun conversation that she knew was coming up. "Good." She glanced at Charlotte's crib. "Tired."

"Welcome to the club."

Callie paused then added, "...extra tired."

Addison remained silent, knowing that Callie was working her way up to something.

"Mark and I kind of... found a baby."

"Huh?"

"We, found a baby." She repeated as if the statement was self explanatory.

Addison, ever so slightly morbid, asked, "Dead?"

"What?! No! Alive!" Callie lowered her voice. "In the hall, on our floor. By the elevators."

"Oh. You found a baby."

Callie rolled her eyes. "Which is what I said two seconds ago."

"I can hang up now."

"No! No. I, we, need your help."

"With..."

"We... I... want to keep her."

"What?!" Addison didn't screech, but... well, this was pretty close to a screech.

"So, yeah. She's adorable, her name is Charlotte, and I want to keep her. But, Mark... I... anyway, I want to make certain all the t's are crossed the i's dotted. And you know people, people in Child Protective Services. And in Child Welfare. So... can you give me some names of some people who could tell me how to do this? How to adopt her? How to keep her?"

Addison let out a low whistle. "Jesus Christ Calliope. You don't do things small, do you?"

"I don't think I know how."

"You do know, there are are easier ways for you and Sloan to have a kid. Easier more fun ways."

"Mark... I... I don't really know what Mark wants. I mean, I know when Sloan Sloan was around he wanted her baby. But, he's being a little reticent about Charlotte."

"And by reticent, you mean, realistic?"

"No, I mean pain in the ass, 'we have to give her away' reticent."

Addison gave a dry laugh. "So, Mark doesn't want the baby? And you do?"

"That seems to sum the situation up."

"And you're willing to be a single mom?"

Callie looked over at the sleeping baby and smiled. "I think so. Yeah. I mean, I wanted... I... the damn picket fence would have been nice, but, if I've lucked out to find Charlotte now... and I'm the only one who wants her...? I guess I'll go without the fence. Or maybe I'll build my own fucking fence."

Addison pulled up her contact list on her computer. "Okay Cal, I know one person in Seattle CPS, I'll email you her name, and I'll also give you my friend Jane Standish's contact information... she's here in LA, but, she should be able to point in the right direction for some other people in Seattle, and maybe give you some general rules, to do's, not to do's for this whole thing." Addison typed a few more lines into her computer and hit send. Settling back in her chair, she grinned. "So, I'm going to be an Auntie, huh?"

Callie grinned back over the phone lines to her friend. "That's the goal."

"Okay, well check your mail, and call me if you need me."

"_When_ I need you."

"When you need me."

"Love you."

"Love you back."

***

Day Five

He looked down at the baby sleeping in the dark wood crib. She was on her back – recommended sleeping position – her eyes closed, her lashes long against her cheeks... she was beautiful. And he was in love.

He knew Callie was in love with her too. She'd been in love with her since moment one. He probably would have been too, **if** he hadn't fought the issue so hard. No..., he definitely hadn't wanted to fall in love with this little girl; this little girl that didn't belong to him... this baby who he was less than prepared to provide care for.

But two things were abundantly clear to him. One, it took less than a week for her to wrap him around her little finger. And two, he didn't have a choice about who he fell in love with.

With a quiet, half knock at Mark's door, Callie pushed in to the apartment, catching him, once again, staring at Charlotte. She hid the little smile that crept to her lips. "Ready Freddy?" Her voice was low, not wanting to wake the sleeping baby.

"Yeah," Mark bent down next to the crib, and picked up his work bag. "I'll see you later." he forced himself to not look at Charlotte. "I'll bring home Chinese?"

"I'm hungry already...!"

Mark chuckled as they switched places, Callie moving to the crib as he moved to the door, "Call me if you need anything."

Callie' attention was already focused on the baby as he pulled the door shut, her hand on Charlotte's cheek.

***

"Alisha Grant. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you."

"Hi." Callie motioned to the couch. "Would you like to take a seat."

"Sure, thank you."

Mark, Callie and the local representative of CPS, settled on the couch in Mark's place.

Callie nervously stood up again, "Can I get you some water, or soda, or something? Anything?"

Alisha smiled. "No. No. I'm good. I'm also curious. Jane Standish is a good friend of mine and she indicated you want to adopt an abandoned baby?"

Callie settled back into her seat. "Yes, I do."

Alisha glanced quickly at Mark. "When and where was the baby abandoned?"

Mark responded, "Here. Less than a week ago."

"A week ago?"

"We took her to... a doctor and hand her checked out. She's healthy. No medical concerns."

Alisha made a small note on the pad of paper she'd magically produced. "And do you know how old she is?"

"Three months."

Another note.

Callie glanced at Mark, then back at Alisha. "So what I really want to know is how I can go about adopting her."

"Mmm hmm."

Callie was not liking this Alisha woman. At all. And she really wasn't liking her little pencil and her little notepad.

Silence filled the room for a few nervous seconds.

"Well there are a few issues here. We need to try and identify who the true parents of the child are."

"Why?" Mark asked the question for both him and Callie.

"Well, for one, if they abandoned a three month old child, they are liable for prosecution. For two, if someone wants to adopt an abandoned child, that child has to be listed as a ward of the state, and of course, we can't list a child as a ward until we are certain she/he has been abandoned." She smiled.

Callie shook her head in confusion. "So, for now, at least, we can keep her?"

"Well, at least for the next few days, I would, however, recommend that you look in to taking our foster parent classes, so that, should she be made a ward of the state, you can be considered as an appropriate temporary caretaker."

"So there's a chance she could be taken from me?"

Well," again with the smile, "there is, of course a chance. But your home is, on a quick, view, appropriate." She took a breath and added, "I do, of course have a few questions for you."

Callie nodded her head.

"But first, can I meet the baby?"

Callie glanced at Mark, who shrugged. "Sure, we, just need to go next door."

Ms. Grant frowned slightly but stood up and followed Mark and Callie, out of Callie's apartment, across the hall, and into Mark's apartment where Cristina was babysitting.

As they pushed the door open, Yang yelled out, "So how did the meeting withThe Man go?"

Mark stepped to the side and let Callie and 'The Man' into the apartment. "We still have the man with us."

Yang looked up from Charlotte and offered, "I of course meant 'The Man' in the most complimentary way possible."

Alisha gave a half smile, glanced at the crib, and then at Mark and Callie. "So is THIS your apartment?"

"It's his apartment. I live across the hall."

"And the baby is staying with him?"

"Yesss... but I'm here all of the time. I mean," Callie looked at Mark, "He and I... well he...."

Mark spoke with out realizing he was doing so. "We both want to adopt Charlotte."

Ms. Grant paused. "I... see." She verified, "are the two of you... engaged?"

"No! No. No..." Callie shook her head slightly frantically. "I mean, we're not together, we.. just, we'd make good parents... for her."

Another, "I... see." And another note in the note pad. And then Ms. Grant turned and walked over to Cristina and peered down at the baby. "She's a lovely little girl."

Alisha turned back to Mark and Callie and putting her pad into purse, she shook her head. "I'm going to be honest with you. Your chances of keeping her are slim."

"Why?"

"Why?"

Yang chirped in, "Why the hell can't they keep her?"

"You're single..., you're not even engaged. CPS and CW would have next to no problem giving a child, a healthy infant, to one of the hundreds of couples who are in our city looking for a baby. If you were married, or engaged, the fact that she was 'given' to you, might work in your favor, but regardless of your marital status, well... you're white."

"And?!" Mark stood taller.

"Well," she had the grace to look sheepish, "She's... the baby is _black_."

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Callie was glaring at the woman. Her dislike of her having now reached 'Izzie dislike' levels.

"Well, the courts, the public..., I mean...," Alisha Grant straightened her shoulders, and gingerly headed towards the door. "I'm sorry, I simply wanted to let you know, realistically, what your chances are." She opened the door, "I'll call you within the next two days with more information."

Callie, her voice icy, shared, "Ms. Grant, you might want to make a little amendment to your notes, "While Mark is 'white', I'm a Latina. Mexican to be exact. Since race is so important to CPS, I want to make certain your records are correct."

Alisha Grant had the grace to once again look embarrassed, but she only offered a faint..., "yes, well I'll be in touch." And she closed the door behind her.

Callie turned to Mark, her eyes large, and rimmed with tears.

He held his arms out to her and when she leaned in to him he simply held her close.


End file.
